BRITAIN’S oldest flasher Anthony Mancini, 87, has been shamed in court after exposing himself in front of families.

Parents said they felt "sick" at the pervert pensioner's behaviour, after he flashed in a park in Greater Manchester during half-term in October last year.

About 80 people were present, including many children.

Mancini, who has a history of offending, pleaded guilty at Bury Magistrates to outraging public decency.

Robin Lynch prosecuting said: "A lady was in Nuttall Park with her children, aged between 8-11 when she saw a male acting suspiciously in the bushes.

"She said she saw him stood between two trees with his pants open and she saw blue boxer shorts. She said his right hand was in his boxer shorts. She said she could clearly see the male masturbating and making masturbating movements in his pants. It made her feel sick and disgusted."

A childminder also saw Mancini in the park in Ramsbottom, Bury, while she was looking after children aged three, five and six.

Her victim statement read: "This man looked like a harmless old man because of his age. I dismissed him as not a threat but what he has done has disgusted me."

Cavendish

Nuttall Park in Bury, where the incidents took place

These rather serious offences were repulsive for a lot of people

Chair of the Bench Georgina Hastie

Another witness said: "The children were asking what the man had done wrong and wanted to know why.

"I do not lie to my children so had to find a way to say what had happened. It was the worst conversation. I had to explain what a paedophile was."

Mancini, who is also known as Bertram Monk, has 52 previous offences on his record, including indecency, with the most recent back in the 1990s.

The pensioner, who is from Summerseats in Bury, denied wrongdoing in the police interview before later pleading guilty.

Roger Taylor, in mitigation, told the court the pensioner was upset by the suggestion he was a paedophile.

"He has never had interest in children and the thought of that has certainly affected him.

"That is a terrible suggestion and he says he has never been attracted to children whatsoever. What he must accept, that in a park, or public place, it can be empty and also have many people and they can be distressed by what they see."

As well as being ordered to attend a sexual offences treatment programme for five years, Mancini was ordered to abide by a three month curfew between 3pm and 10pm. He has also been banned from any park in the Ramsbottom area.

Chair of the Bench Georgina Hastie said: "These rather serious offences were repulsive for a lot of people. The victim impact statement heard of sickness and disgust, loss of confidence looking after other people's children and how children have been affected. "